The Domdur Empire has ruled the world for several generations and
has grown accustomed to the peace and prosperity of its rule.
Having conquered all the surrounding countries with the help and
the will of the Gods, the Empire is at peace. The Gods speak to
the oracles who tell the priests the will of the Gods. If ordinary
people have questions about the harvest or if the Royal Family
wishes to know who is to be the next Emperor, the Gods answer.
There is no uncertainty about any issue.

One evening in a small country village, baby Malledd is born to
a simple blacksmith. The baby is born with the claw mark of the
God Ba'al on his face which a priest confirms means that Malledd
is the chosen champion of the Domdur, to be called upon by the Gods
to protect the Empire in the event of war. The mark fades and
Malledd grows up. But the claw mark of Ba'al has marked Malledd
for a life of teasing from his sisters and jealousy from other
villagers about the fact that the priest said he is the Chosen
Champion. All he really wants is to live a normal life and so
does all he can to keep the secret of his birth. But when a New
Magic is discovered and an evil magician arises with an
army of walking undead to threaten the sleeping Empire,
the Chosen Champion is called for by the Empire. Will
Malledd accept his fate as Champion or will he ignore it?
Will the Empire fall because one man's unwillingness to accept
the destiny laid upon him by the Gods?

Lawrence Watt-Evans has created a fascinating new world
in this rousing fantasy epic. The portrayal of Malledd,
the hero who doesn't want to be a hero, is an unusual
twist on the usual fantasy epic storyline and adds a compelling
dimension to the story as we follow Malledd's search for his
true self. His path takes him from the blacksmith's forge of
a tiny village to the grand city of Seidabar with its temples
and palace intrigues to the horror of the battlefields and
to the fulfillment of his destiny. The pacing is leisurely
through the first part of the book, but picks up steam as
Malledd sets off to find his destiny and the action builds
until the climactic finale. The characters are well-drawn and
interesting and the fantasy and magic elements are intriguing
and integral to the plotline. Watt-Evans has left room for the
character of Malledd to evolve in future adventures and has
dropped tantalizing hints and details about the Gods
and the magic of this universe. We can't wait to see what
happens next in this fascinating new world.